by Nikki Wild
“Oh, yeah? Even if they took the time to let you explain, which isn’t likely with the fucking mob - who I’m sure you’ve heard aren’t exactly known for waiting to ask questions before whackin’ someone- what would you tell them? That I was just some guy you met in a bar who dragged you out and took you home and fucked you all night, instead of letting you go home like you asked?” His eyes flashed with emotion. “I don’t think that would set to well with your daddy, Gabby.”
Fuck. So maybe he was right. My dad’s motto was ‘act now, ask later’ and he insisted the men that worked for him follow it strictly. That was another one of those lessons I’d learned the hard way growing up.
“Well, then what do you propose we do, Dante?” I asked, my voice laced with exasperation.
“We wait.” He nodded firmly, his jaw set, his eyes hardening with stubbornness.
“For what?” I asked, throwing my hands up in frustration.
I was answered by the approaching sound of roaring motorcycles, the vibrations small and faint until they grew louder and stronger until the glasses in the kitchen began clinking together and the windows began shaking in their panes.
I looked questioningly at Dante.
A slow, satisfied smile spread across his face.
“For my brothers…”
Dante
“So you just fucking kidnapped her, Dante?” Angry Bobby whispered, as we all stood outside the cabin. Gabby and I had walked out to greet them, but they had already seen the news. “You didn’t think that maybe kidnapping a mob princess was a bad idea?”
I groaned.
“I didn’t fucking kidnap her! And, I didn’t know who the fuck she was at the time. Not until a few hours ago,” I explained.
“Well, what the fuck were the two of you talking about all night then?” Gio asked.
Romeo snickered and I felt Gabby tense beside me. I reached over to her and grabbed her hand and squeezed gently.
“Probably not a lot of talking going on,” Romeo joked.
“Shut the fuck up, Romeo!” I growled. I was in no mood for his bullshit. “Look, we have to figure out what to do, how to handle this.”
“We do, huh?” Alonso asked. “Why ‘we’?”
“Why ‘we’?” I asked, anger rising in my voice. “Maybe because we’re a fucking team, Alonso, or did you forget that? Did you forget everything we’ve been through? Did you fucking forget what happened in Afghanistan? Or maybe that didn’t mean anything to you, huh?”
“Dante that’s not what I meant…,” Alonso replied, shaking his head.
“No?” I asked, my voice raising. “Because for a second I thought maybe you forgot that I saved your ass from that fucking IED? Maybe you forgot that the only reason you still have both your fucking legs is because of me?” I was in his face, yelling like a lunatic, rage filling my veins. I’d blown up like a fucking bomb. Out of nowhere.
What the fuck is wrong with me? I thought.
“Chill the fuck out, Dante!” Italo said, getting between me and his brother and pushing me back. “Listen, dude, of course we’re a team. Nobody’s forgotten that. We’re here for you, brother. You just gotta tell us what you want us to do.”
I took a deep breath and walked a few feet away, pacing between the bikes.
“Sorry…” I muttered a half-assed apology, glancing at Alonso. He shrugged it off, and lit a cigarette, taking a long, slow draw.
“So what are we dealing with exactly?” Italo asked. “All we know is what’s on the news. There was a kick ass fight, and now you’re both wanted for the murders of two of the Iron Godz. How much of that is true?”
“They fucking started it. One of those bastards hit Gabby, I had no choice but to kick their ass. We didn’t know at the time that we killed anyone.”
“I saw the video on the news,” Bats said, shaking his head. “Looked like the bartender was filming while you two were going all Kill Bill on the Godz. Two of the guys took barstools to the head and they never got up after you left.”
“Video. For fuck’s sake…” I said, glancing over and meeting Gabby’s eyes. Her eyes filled with tears and her bottom lip started quivering.
“I didn’t mean to kill anyone…” she said, tears slowly sliding down her cheeks.
“Fuck,” I muttered, pulling her into my arms. “Of course you didn’t. That fucker deserved it, though. He never should have put his hands on you.”
“Nothing we can do about it now,” Alonso said. “What’s done is done. We gotta figure out where to go from here, brother.” He closed the distance between us and hugged me briefly.
“But first things first,” he said, looking at us. “Are you two okay?” Alonso had more medic training that any of us, and he was the first person to think about shit like that.
“We’re fine,” I said, my head replaying the fight in my head. I didn’t know much about Gabby, but if there was anything she’d proven to me last night, it was that she was tough.
“Not for nuttin’, Dante, but I gotta say - after seeing that video - I’m surprised only two of those pricks died,” Bats said. “The two of you did a number on the place. I was impressed.”
“They were a bunch of pussies,” I muttered over Gabby’s head, inhaling the sweet vanilla scent of her hair. She leaned into me, the warmth of her body making me wish everything was different.
I wished I could just tell the guys to leave and take Gabby back to bed and forget any of this ever happened. I wished she wasn’t who she was. I wished that stupid fucking fight had never happened. I should have just grabbed her and left with her, leaving those assholes standing. But no.
I let my stupid fucking pride get in the way. Yeah, of course they deserved it, but what harm would have come if I’d just walked away?
Honor. I was always concerned about honoring people, respecting people. Always demanding that same respect was given and defending that honor when necessary. Especially when it came to women.
Hell, I knew why. I knew where it all started. My fucking wife-beating asshole prick of a father. He’d finally left us when I was eight and it wasn’t a moment too soon. Not before causing a lifetime of scars and making me get neck-deep in countless situations where I’d have been better served to just walk away.
Some of the scars you could see. Like the small moon shaped scar under my right eye where his wedding ring caught me when I threw out my crappy dinner instead of eating it. I’d never been hit in the face before, and he made damn sure I didn’t forget it once I had. It took weeks for that cut to heal.
But most of the scars were in places that I made sure nobody saw. Because I didn’t open up to anyone and I liked it that way. And yet, despite my best efforts, here I was - tangled up in some shit that I didn’t know how to get out of.
I forced myself to let go of Gabby and started pacing again. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. Waiting. Waiting for me to pull some magical plan out of my ass.
The fucking mob was looking for me because I’d run off with the Boss’s daughter.
The fucking Godz were looking for me because I’d killed two of their guys.
The fucking cops were looking for me because of both of those reasons.
As far as I could see, I was fucked. Pure and simple. Fucked.
And yet here I was, still concerned about someone else. Still concerned about defending and protecting someone.
I glanced back at Gabby and saw the fear and confusion in her eyes. She was used to Daddy getting her out of trouble, but that wasn’t going to work this time.
“We stay here. That’s all I’ve got right now. Nobody leaves,” I strolled past them, their questioning eyes staring me down - everyone but Bear, who was standing quietly at Gabby’s side - wanted answers I didn’t have.
Yet. The answers would come. I just needed time.
I left them all outside, closing the door after Bear followed me in, and headed straight for the kitchen.
I may not have any fucking answers, but I had a bottle
of whiskey, and for now, that would have to do.
Gabby
One by one, the members of Dante’s club turned off their bikes and tore off their helmets. If I hadn’t already had the daylights fucked out of me by Dante, and if I wasn’t totally freaked out by finding out that I’d allegedly murdered someone, then I was pretty sure I’d be melting from all the testosterone these guys were throwing around.
For fuck’s sake, each one of them were extremely hot in their own right.
Alonso and Italo looked like they’d just stepped out of a fucking Italian GQ magazine - their smoldering eyes and lashes for miles were enough to stop any woman in her tracks.
Angry Bobby had eyes so gentle and kind that I wanted to crawl into his arms every time he flashed them at me. He had long black hair, longer than Dante’s, and it whipped around his face in the wind as we all stood outside of the cabin talking.
Gio was a man’s man. All thick muscle and machismo, his python-sized biceps threaten to rip right out of his leather jacket. His long black hair hung in a heavy braid down his back and he had a tattoo of a snake around his neck that scared the shit out of me. He didn’t say much; instead, he kept his arms crossed over his chest, his face drawn tight as he listened intently to everyone else. His eyes were like black pits of mystery that left me wondering if anyone ever got close to him. And if they survived.
Romeo was the hottest of them all, even hotter than Dante in a way. You could tell he was the player of the group. He strutted around the parking lot, pacing with nervous energy. He was tall and thin, his ropey, sinewy muscles rippling with every step. He wore a black patched leather vest with a tight black t-shirt underneath, leaving his heavily tattooed arms exposed. It was his grin that appeared to be his secret weapon. The confident way he flashed it at me made me glad I was wearing jeans, because I was pretty sure my panties had melted away.
Bats was the most interesting of all, though. He was tall and lanky like Romeo, but he was quiet and calm. So much so, it was unnerving. Like Gio, he watched everyone from the sidelines, his intense blue eyes seeming to look right through me when they fell on me. His presence was confident and demanding. Sure, he only had one arm, but I didn’t really notice. Neither did he, apparently. He seemed to get along just fine without it. I watched in silent amazement as he pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, pulled one out, and lit it on his own. He caught me watching, and I looked away quickly, heat rising to my face.
“So, you’re Loprinzi’s daughter, eh? What’s it like growing up a mob princess?” Alonso asked after Dante disappeared inside the cabin. I wished like hell he hadn’t left me out here with these guys alone, but I was determined not to appear weak. It was obvious they already thought I was bad news.
“It’s not - look - do one of you have a phone? If I could just get to a phone to call my dad, he can sort all this out.”
“Daddy’s girl, eh?” Gio grunted, his arms still folded over his massive chest.
“No, not really. But he’s good at fixing things.”
“Leo Loprinzi?” Italo asked. “Yeah, fixing things dead.”
The guys all laughed and I looked around at them with frustration. Nobody was taking me seriously and I was beginning to get really pissed off. I didn’t want them to give them the pleasure of seeing that, though.
Unfortunately, between the frustration, the fear, the complete helplessness I felt without my car, phone and money - I was starting to lose my shit.
Instead of blowing up in front of them, I turned on my heel and left them all laughing behind me.
Fuck them, I thought. Let them laugh.
As far as I saw it, there was only one way out of this, and it was up to me to convince Dante that I was right.
Bella
“Look, Mr. Loprinzi, I’m telling you the truth,” I repeated for the tenth time. “I don’t know where Gabby is.”
Leo Loprinzi and one of his goons towered over me as I sat on the couch in my apartment. They’d shown up at the crack of dawn, bulldozing their way in and scaring the shit out of me while I slept. They chased out the guy I’d met at the bar last night and now I was sitting here in nothing but an oversized t-shirt and boy shorts, feeling completely exposed in front of them.
I’d met Gabby’s dad a million times and every single time he intimidated the fuck out of me completely. Today was no different. My legs were shaking with nerves, my knees knocking together.
“You’re my daughter’s best friend, Bella. I can’t believe you don’t know anything about this,” his voice bellowed through our small apartment, his eyes peering into mine like he could see through my soul.
“But I don’t!” I protested, goosebumps rising on my flesh. “And to be honest, I’m pissed at her, Mr. Loprinzi. I can’t believe she didn’t tell me she was going to Otto’s. In fact, I can’t believe she went without me! If I would have gone with her, none of this would have happened.”
“You been there before, Bella?” he asked, sitting on the couch with me.
“Once,” I replied, hesitatingly. “Please don’t tell my parents.” My parents would kill me and insist on me moving back home if they knew I was going places like Otto’s.
“I won’t, I promise. Tell me about it. Why would girls like you and Gabby go to such a place?”
I looked away, biting my lip, remembering all the bragging I’d done to Gabby. I felt like such an asshole. I’d told her I’d met a cool guy there, and he’d taken me home and fucked me all night, and that it was absolutely wonderful.
But that wasn’t the truth. The truth was, it wasn’t so wonderful at all. I’d met a biker there, all right. And yeah, he was hot enough. But he’d taken me back to his clubhouse and fucked me quickly and roughly in the bathroom, leaving me sore and very unsatisfied.
Afterward, he made a joke about passing me around and sharing me with the rest of the Iron Godz, but I’d managed to convince him to take me back to my car.
I was lucky I got out of there alive, but I didn’t want to admit it to anyone.
I wished like hell I’d told Gabby the truth. It was obvious to me that she’d gone there because of what I’d told her. I don’t even know why I’d lied. I was so ashamed, and I just wanted to pretend it wasn’t as bad as it was, I guess.
And now, she’d been fucking kidnapped by a biker or something and murdered someone! How could this be real?
I couldn’t believe any of it was true.
It was all my fault.
It was time to come clean.
“It’s all my fault, Mr. Loprinzi. I went to Otto’s two weeks ago…”
Dante
“Okay, I’m listening, Gabby. How do you think your father can help us?” I was ready to listen to anything at this point. I was frustrated that I wasn’t coming up with a plan out of this mess. All my time on the street, all my military training, all my bravado and confidence that I’d built up over the years - nothing had prepared me for having the cops, the mob, and one of the most dangerous outlaw clubs on the East Coast looking for me all at the same time.
I had no idea which direction to go. And it was pissing me off.
To be honest, so was Gabby’s repeated insistence that her father could help us. She might not realize it, but I was pretty fucking sure a mob boss wasn’t going to just let me off easy for getting his daughter into this mess, for getting his prized possession slapped with a murder charge.
It didn’t matter that I’d saved her life. I’d sure fucked her, not to mention fucked up her life. And that would be enough right there for him to have my face ripped off by one of his guys, if he didn’t do it himself.
Because this was personal.
And I knew what that meant.
Loprinzi and the Iron Godz would stop at nothing to get revenge. I could deliver Gabby to Loprinzi’s door safe and in one piece and I’d still have to pay for what I’d done to his family.
That was just the way shit went down in Queens.
I wasn’t disillusioned with the id
ea of things just ‘magically working out’. Nothing was going work out without a whole lot of violence involved.
For fuck’s sake, I’d seen it up close and personal.
“I don’t know, but he will,” she insisted, finally. “He’ll listen to reason. He won’t hurt you.”
“Gabby. We both know better.”
“We do, huh?” she asked.
“We’ve both seen it before, with our own eyes,” I said, interrupting her, unable to keep it to myself any longer, to keep my secret, our shared past, to myself.
“What?” she asked, her eyes slamming into mine. “What are you talking about? When?”
“A very long time ago. At the 101st Street block party. You were young.”
“I don’t know what you mean…” she shook her head, her eyes squinting questioningly.
“I’ve always wondered if you remembered. It was so long ago, but I never forgot. Not for a second. We were in the back of the tent. You were looking inside, I guess you were lost or something. You would have gotten shot, if I hadn’t pulled you away…”
“You? That was you?!” she exclaimed, her lips parting in surprise.
“Yeah. That was me,” I confessed. It felt good to tell her, now that I realized who she was.
“I’ve never told a soul about that,” she whispered, looking at me with awe, shaking her head.
“Neither have I,” I replied, looking into her eyes, sighing. “You were so little. You must’ve seen some shit over the years.” I reached up and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, caressing her cheek with my palm. I felt bad for her. She hadn’t meant to end up in this shit, and yet here she was.
Born into it.
She lifted her chin, sensing that I was feeling sorry for her.
“I’ve actually been very protected. What I witnessed…what we witnessed…was rare. But, I guess this means I owe you for saving my life twice now,” she said, smiling up at me, shaking her head in disbelief. “I’ve been wanting to thank you for that for years, Dante. You saved my life. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.”
